Social Worker Week – Key players in our healthcare system

At the heart of our various sites, professionals work every day to provide crucial support to people going through a difficult period and in need of essential resources. Among these key players are social workers, whose dedication and commitment transform lives. From March 23 to 29, 2025, we celebrate the work of these exceptional professionals and highlight their valuable contribution to our mission.

Social workers at the MUHC are committed to identifying and addressing the emotional, social, cultural and environmental needs of patients, their families and friends. They form an essential link between the hospital and the community. Their goal is to promote the autonomy and dignity of individuals.

At all sites, social workers handle a wide range of cases. Depending on their specialty, they are familiar with the specific resources available to their clientele, provide support to patients and their families, and participate in discharge planning with the multidisciplinary team. They engage in continuous training in order to improve their practices and stay informed about community resources.

Supporting seniors and their loved ones requires comprehensive knowledge of residences, CHSLDs and the services offered by CLSCs to keep them safely at home. “At the MGH, social workers are an integral part of the Traumatic Brain Injury Program and play a significant role in improving a patient's quality of life, regardless of the severity of the injury,” says MGH Social Worker Jillian Lucht. “The resources available to patients at the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital are very specific, and the availability of resources related to each specialty can make the patient's discharge process very complex,” says Melissa Rodney, Social Worker at The Neuro.

"Social workers are an important part of the multidisciplinary teams involved in patient care, and we are particularly attentive to discharge planning because we need to ensure that patients are not left without support and are directed to the resources best suited to their condition," adds Linda Lemay, Social Worker at the Royal Victoria.

At the Allan Memorial Institute, social workers specialize in mental health resources. They are an integral part of the interdisciplinary team. "That's the beauty of being a social worker in psychiatry. However, it’s a field where resources are limited, and the pressure can be intense," explains Julie Bédard-Mathieu, Social Worker at the institute.

"I am very proud to manage a department made up of such strong and exceptional professionals. Working in health care can be very difficult. Despite all these challenges, the teams remain dedicated to patients and families, and are particularly supportive of one another," says Aviva Tenenbaum, Manager of the Social Services Department at the adult sites.

At Lachine Hospital, Karine Leblanc recently joined as a social worker in the emergency department after spending many years at the MGH. “At Lachine, we have six social workers: one in dialysis, two in the emergency department, two on the floors, and Maricela Cuaquentzi, who just arrived at the CHSLD Camille Lefebvre. As an integral part of the multidisciplinary teams, we receive many elderly patients who are experiencing a loss of autonomy. We are also seeing an increasing number of homeless people. Listening, assessing situations, and finding appropriate resources are at the heart of our work in this community hospital,” she explains.

“Our main role is to assess the psychosocial dynamics and risk factors that determine a patient's level of vulnerability to ensure a safe discharge from the hospital to the community. Furthermore, our goal is to establish a therapeutic alliance with our patients by demonstrating cultural sensitivity, empathy and support throughout the different stages of their journey. 

Active listening, psychological support, referral to community resources and the search for solutions are the key elements of our interventions with the population,” conclude Julie Lavigne, Social Worker at the Women's Health Mission and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Diana D'Addio, Social Worker at the Women's Health Mission. 

During Social Worker Week, we say THANK YOU to the social workers at the various MUHC sites for their presence, support, professionalism and invaluable contribution to the multidisciplinary teams in which they are involved.